Audio editing and mixing are complex and challenging tasks, especially for users who are not trained in the art of processing sound, as are professional audio engineers. Since audio data can be of varied content types (e.g., music, dialogue, background, etc.), audio processing effects and their order of application usually depend on the content type to achieve a properly mixed audio track. Audio editing applications, such as included in a digital audio workstation (DAW) or non-linear editor (NLE), however, do not display a user interface based on the content of the audio data. Consequently, neophyte users often make mistakes when using existing user interfaces of audio editing applications, such as selecting an inappropriate audio effect, improperly adjusting an audio effect, or selecting audio effects in an incorrect order.
Moreover, audio editing applications display user interfaces that do not accommodate users of various skill levels. For instance, audio editing applications may display a simplified view in a user interface. Such a simplified view, however, can be insufficient for a trained audio engineer to make appropriate adjustments (e.g., by excluding access to certain adjustments), and at the same time, present too much information in an unorganized fashion as perceived by a novice user.
Furthermore, audio editing applications are poorly configured to enable comparative testing of audio mixes, such as comparisons of an audio effect being enabled or disabled. For instance, when an audio effect is disabled, audio editing applications remove the disabled effect from the processing chain without preserving delay lines caused by the disabled effect. Consequently, when comparing an audio mix by enabling and disabling an effect during playback, dropouts in the audio mix result from the disabled effect.